Escaflowne: Eternal Dawn
by Ryoji Ai
Summary: Two years after her return to Earth, Hitomi finds herself once again having dreams of the world and love she left behind, as a new enemy, in search of an ancient power appears in the mystic land of Gaea..
1. Prologue: Tipping Scales

.::Prologue: Tipping Scales::.

* * *

The town smoldered still.

Fires still burned in some areas, eating away at little bits of buildings; what little was still standing. The valley where the city had once called home was still burning, the trees broken and charred. The smoke marred the sky, making it black. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

Kneeling, she picked up a handful of the soil beneath her black boots, letting it slip between her fingers. This was the second town to be attacked, and it had not been so long ago, the dirt still warm as it fell to the ground. They had been too slow, aware of the attack too late. She could feel the three men behind her in their silent shock. She did not blame them. The amount of destruction, the devastation done to the town was... chilling.

Her black cloak billowed around her, the wind stronger in the ruined town itself than it had been on the plateau of the cliff behind them where their guymelefs waited. The wind fanned the flames, which was why they had not yet been extinguished. The guards from the nearby castle had fought, but they had died in the end. Guymelefs lay broken around the town like skeletons, their manipulators as dead as the machines inside. Whoever had attacked the village had been methodical, efficient, and deadly. She could almost see the path they had taken. This had not been a raid, or random attack. There were other towns, other more significant towns in the neighboring areas. This one had been chosen. It had been calculated, and well-planned..

It had been a message.

"My lady," said one of the commanders behind her, his dark armor highlighted with red from the nearby dancing flames.

Tearing her eyes from the desolate scene, she spun on her heel, the sudden urgency in leaving overtaking her. The attack had not been long ago: the perpetrators could still be in the area.

"We must return," she said, walking swiftly down the path to return to the plateau above them.

"Was there nothing to be done, m'lady?" asked one of the three, who followed suite, eyes watching the brushes for signs of spies.

"No. Whoever it was attacked too swiftly, and too stealthily to be noticed. They didn't stand a chance," she added, low voice dark with the knowledge of one who has seen such tactics before.

"What of the other kingdoms?" asked the second commander, a more middle-aged man who bore a scar down one cheek.

"I fear, commander, that soon enough, they will be made aware of the enemy. Somehow, I doubt that this was an intentional attack-- it was not meant for them." She increased her pace, the air seeming more tense than before, like the build-up of electricity before lightning strikes. It sent shivers down her arms. The men behind her took her signal silently, and moved faster up the cliff.

"Will they be at risk?" he inquired, moving around a large boulder in the path.

The silence stretched uncomfortably as they continued to make their way up the winding path.

"My lady?"

"I wish I could say I doubt it, but... I don't."

A sudden noise caught her attention: a sharp crack from the forest next to the still-burning village. All four turned their heads, as trees fell, and three guymelefs decloaked and turned their heads towards the group.

"Move!" she snapped coldly, and the four moved quickly up the cliff.

The guymelefs had destroyed the village to lure them out into the open. A trap. Not particularly intricate, but it had worked. If they had destroyed one of their villages to get to them..

Fate, hand-in-hand with the enemy, would draw the other kingdoms in as well.

Peace was coming to an end.


	2. Chapter 1: Dreams of Gaea

The gentle tick of the clock on her desk was the only sound that filled the small room, announcing each second that went past the midnight hour. The window was open, letting the cool summer night's breeze in through the window, carrying with it ever so faintly the sound of the waves on the shore a few blocks away. The days had been unbearably hot recently, the gentle breeze that played games with her curtains a welcome reprieve. Despite the calm night around her, Hitomi tossed in her bed, unaware that she was doing so. It was not the first night recently that she had done so.

She dreamed.

She dreamed of a field of white flowers with purple centers like lilies, but she had never seen flowers like these before. Long stemmed, and bowing in the wind, they were vibrant, just like the sky above her. The sky was bright, a beautiful cerulean blue. Earth hung in the sky like the moon, distant and beautiful. She knew, even before she saw it, that she was back on Gaea. Since she had left two years ago, said goodbye to Van, she had often dreamed of it. She closed her eyes, feeling the sun on her face, the breeze through her hair. She almost believed it was real. But she knew it was just another of her dreams..

She opened her eyes, aware that she was no longer alone, and blue eyes looked across the field. A woman was standing there, and she was as beautiful as the flowers around them, distinct features blocked by spots of light caused by the sun on her pale skin. White hair flowed free around her, dancing on the breeze. She wore a plain dress of white and gold, but her eyes were blue; blue like the sky.

_"Who are you?"_ asked Hitomi, her voice echoing around her. She wasn't sure if she had spoken it aloud, or thought it. The woman smiled at her, a gentle and kind smile. She turned to face her, and Hitomi caught a glimpse of a pendant around her neck. A short silver chain with a silver crest on it: a crystal of some kind with finely sculpted wings wrapped around it. The other woman moved forward, stepping through the flowers carefully, as though afraid to break one. She came to a stop just a few feet away.

The woman reached out to Hitomi, and Hitomi reached her own hand out to catch the woman's. The woman's fingers were long, beautiful. She felt no fear as she reached out to the stranger, but rather she felt safe. Like the woman was a relative or close friend. For some reason, it felt important that the connection be made: a simple contact. Just when the fingers would have touched, just when Hitomi felt she would have had the answers she wanted about who the woman was— the world was torn apart.

Fire ripped through the flowers, burning them and causing them to shrivel in on themselves. She heard screams echo around her, and felt the heat from the flames. The woman's image disappeared like the wavering lines of a mirage, and Hitomi was left on her own in the frightening scene. The beauty of the world around her was fading.

_"Somebody help me! What's happening?! Please!!"_

She shut her eyes, tried to block out the noise of the flames, of the screaming people. She tried to wake up. _"It's just a dream, it's just a dream.. somebody please! Wake me up!" _

As though answering her call, a bright light cut through the darkness and flames, the receding heat causing her to open her eyes. A bright light had filled the area, making the flames and ashes like falling snow freeze in place. A figure emerged from the flames, rising through them as though they weren't there. It was the figure of a woman, but beyond that there were no other similarities. She could see no face on the woman, no mouth through the light that she emitted, but she could see the creature's eyes. Eyes that glowed a bright blue. The creature seemed like she was made of white and purple light, her hair flying around her head viciously. She looked wild, untamed, but there was something almost... natural about her. What was this being? The fires seemed to lessen before her, as though they were shying away from something. As the last of the blaze vanished, Hitomi saw that the land was barren, all the serenity of the scene gone replaced only by a still quiet that the she-creature seemed to give off. In the silence, Hitomi felt sorrow for all that had been lost, and yet, there was a feeling to the air, as though she could feel everything moving, working to make things right again.

_"What... are you?"_ she asked the creature, who merely tilted its head at her, regarding the human girl. She almost got the impression that it might have spoken, but the air became tense, and before she knew what was happening, cords of fire came from the sky, wrapping themselves around the creature. It fought, but more and more fiery ropes fell from the sky, binding it until it could only struggle. The creature gave out a cry, and was pulled into the sky.

As though it sensed the creature's departure, the world started to shake, and the ground beneath Hitomi began to crumble. She screamed as she fell into the darkness below.

She hit the floor of her room, tangled in her sheets, and waking with a start. She stared at her ceiling, the morning light playing its way across the white paint. She stayed there, letting herself recollect.

"That dream again," she said to herself finally, touching her chest where her pendant had once been. She sat up slowly, rubbing the back of her head. She leaned against her bed, looking at the clock on her desk. It was only seven AM. She stood up, going to the window, opening it fully. The breeze was still cool, the sun having only just risen. In a few hours, it would be boiling. Her mind flashed to images of the fire from her dream. She lowered her eyes, looking at the ground two stories below.

"Van.." she murmured quietly, a familiar and faint ache in her chest. Leaving Gaea had been difficult, but her family was on Earth. It was where she belonged. And Fate, it seemed, hadn't been willing to let them stay together. She looked up at the sky, the blue not as vibrant as it had been in her dream. "I miss you... I'm... " she looked down, eyes becoming moist. "... I'm worried..."

Something didn't feel right, and hadn't since those dreams had started.

She had a bad feeling about all this..


	3. Chapter 2: An Ominous Wind

"Lord Van?"

Sunlight danced across the stone floor as a gentle breeze stirred the leaves of the great tree outside the window of what was once his parent's room, now his by right. The days on Gaea had been warm as the standard spring chill was rushed out by the coming summer sun. Already the trees and flowers were in full bloom, bringing rich and vibrant colors back to the world. Staring out his window, brown eyes regarded the land he loved, reborn and nearly whole once more. It had been two years since they had started rebuilding the great kingdom of Fanelia: two years, and the summer sun seemed to chase away the ghosts of the past, making the great War of Fate seem almost like a dream. But some parts of the dream, he knew, absently running his gloved fingers over the small pendant around his neck, would never go away. Some parts of the dream he wished would come back.

"Lord Van?" tried the voice again.

Stirred from his thoughts, he blinked, and turned his head towards the door, where the young cat-girl stood, regarding him with a bouquet of white flowers in her hands. Even where he sat perched in the window, he could see her concerned expression. They had both grown up in the last two years, but some things would never change between them. She would always be his closest childhood friend, and she would always worry about him.

"Are.. you ready to go Lord Van?" she asked, looking at him. Her long pink hair was tied back in a ponytail, with bangs that framed her face cutting along her cheek bones. He remembered not so long ago how it had been short.

Two years..

"Yes, sorry," he replied, unfolding his almost six-foot-frame from the window. Merle wasn't the only one that had changed. The years of work, and training, had seen more muscle accumulate on his form, and it seemed like his height finally decided to stop increasing somewhere just shy of six feet. He had been lax with proper grooming as of late, so while his face remained clean shaven, his hair had grown out a bit more, maintaining its ever wild look. He was still dressed from the morning's activities of dealing with the more bureaucratic side of being king: that was only to say, he wasn't wearing armor. Dark brown leather pants that matched his jacket tucked themselves into black boots, the deep red sleeveless shirt beneath his jacket the only splash of true color he wore.

His stride was calm as he made his way to Merle, the young cat-woman donning loose red dancer's pants and a top to match for her work as a waitress in the local tavern. Her tail twitched side to side as she watched him, unable or not bothering to hide the worry in her eyes. He had been quiet lately, contemplative. It was a change she had watched come over him in the recent months..

The two left the vast room, moving down the hall in silence, passing the occasional armed guard on duty. Though the king of Fanelia's eyes stayed ahead of him, Merle's eyes were on the man beside her. It was only once they stepped out into the sunlight of the courtyard that she looked away, focusing on the well worn path beneath her feet. It was a path that she knew he walked often, though it was unguarded. They left the castle behind, passing through the line of trees on the West side of the large stone fortress, and into the forest itself. The massive trees had stood guarding the edges of the large valley that the kingdom found itself in, holding strong even when the kingdom had faced near destruction two years ago. He often found them a comfort, a reminder that the war was over: peace, and life, had returned to the valley after so long. The people had returned to help their king rebuild, and Fanelia was near to what it had been when his father had ruled.

After a few moments of walking in silence, both pairs of feet came to a stop before the fenced off area in the middle of the small clearing, and Van regarded the tall structures before him, as he had many times before.

".. Mother.. Father... Brother..."

The graves of his family were well kept, almost aglow in the filtered sunlight between the trees. Everything was quiet in the clearing, as it often was, as though even the creatures knew that this was a sacred place. A place where he could be with his family, and seek their guidance. Merle looked at him, offering the small bouquet of flowers to him. One gloved hand reached out, taking them from her with the familiar kindness that Van had shown her through her life.

He moved forward, passing through the gap between the fences, approaching the three tall monuments. Two years since his brother had died, leaving him as the sole heir to the throne, and the last remaining royal blood of Fanelia. Two years since.. He knelt in front of the monoliths on one knee, placing the flowers before the middle and largest one.

Merle watched as Van bent his head, shaggy black hair blocking his face from view. She looked up, between the limbs of the reaching trees, green with foliage.

The Mystic Moon hung high in the sky, almost transparent against the rich blue heavens. A reminder of what she suspected weighed on him so much lately. He had changed in the last two years: the duties of a king to a rebuilding nation were heavy to bear, but he had done so, and as a result, he had grown. The War of Fate had ended, and the girl from the Mystic Moon had returned to where she came from. She turned her feline gaze to the large, silent figure standing nearby the graves, an ever watchful guardian of the house of Fanel.

Escaflowne.

It had not moved since the day that Hitomi had left, the need for the powerful guymelef being so little in times of peace. And yet it was always there, dormant until there came a day when it would be needed again. As Van started to rise, she returned her attention to him, her tail twitching slightly from side to side.

"... you're thinking about her, aren't you, Lord Van?" she said softly, as he passed through the fences once more. He looked at her, apparently not surprised by the question. Merle had always been able to read him like a book: one of the side-effects of having grown up together. His hand went to rest on the sword which hung at his side, an idle gesture. The sword had belonged to his father, and once he had completed the ceremony and become king himself, the sword had gone to him. He tilted his head up, looking at that eerie yet beautiful sphere in the sky, waning as it was.

"It's hard to believe it's only been two years," he said, his voice a tone deeper than it had once been, thick with memories. His free hand went to the pendant around his neck, gloved fingers touching its smooth surface gently. He remembered standing in that very grove, the day she had given it to him. The day she had left..

"I'm sure she thinks of you, Lord Van, just as much as you think of her," said Merle, approaching him, her hands behind her back. "I'm sure she misses you.. very much."

"I wish I could have shown her a peaceful Gaea," he said, looking at the Mystic Moon. "I would have liked to have shared that with her." Although his face remained calm, a familiar, dull ache made itself known in his chest, faint and almost unnoticeable.

Distant, just like the sky.

"... Lord Van--" Her ears twitched slightly, and whatever else she might have said was lost with the approach of footsteps running towards them down the path they had come from. While she tensed, Van's grip on his sword became more firm.

"My lord!" spoke the sentry, dropping to one knee immediately before Van, a hand over his heart. "Urgent news from the West!"

A frown touched Van's face, his dark eyes lighting with a seriousness that had not been there before. Something did not feel right.

"Go on," he said. The sentry regarded him.

"Traders en route to Asturia reported that one of the villages they usually rest at has been razed!"

Both figures were stunned into a momentary silence. Van blinked. Raids were not uncommon, but they usually took place further North, closer to the former Zaibach empire, and even then, to have an entire village destroyed was..

"Which one?" he demanded, anger making his calm demeanor crack slightly.

"Belcour, m'lord," replied the sentry. "It was part of an independent region just West of our boarders." Van knew the one. Though it was not in their territory, the neighbouring towns had all done trades with each other: allies in a sense. He knew too that Asturia had towns that did trades with them as well.

"Were there any survivors?" he demanded, the question he had not wanted to ask, but had to know.

"None that were reported, my lord," said the sentry grimly, bowing his head. Van's fist tightened at his side.

"Call a meeting of the generals," he said. Even though it was not in their boundaries, their traders often stayed there. It was unlikely that there had been no outside merchants there at the time of the attack, which made it the business of Fanelia.

"Yes m'lord!" The man stood, bowing once before running back the way he had come.

Merle regarded Van, shivering slightly. The loss of life of an entire village was no small matter; such a sizable loss had not been seen since..

"What will you do, Lord Van?" she asked quietly.

He was silent a long moment, before looking up at the sky again. He didn't want to see the concern on her face.

"I'll call a meeting of the generals," he said, eyes searching the sky. "We'll discuss the right course of action. This is a matter that concerns not only Fanelia, but Asturia as well-- I suspect it won't be long before we hear from them as well." He looked at her finally, grim determination in his eyes. She realized then just how much he had changed: once he would have just leapt into the fastest course of action, rather than sit and plan.

"Who would do such a thing?" she asked him, hugging her arms to her body.

A chill breeze moved through the clearing, making the leaves dance and rustle as he looked to the skyline.

"... I wish I knew," he replied at last.


	4. Chapter 3: The Coming Frost

"So you're telling me they escaped."

Beneath his helmet, the commander broke out in a cold sweat. The voice bore no semblance of threat. It was pleasant, empty as though they were discussing something minute like the weather and not his failure as he knelt on the floor. It was the most dangerous voice he had heard since the fall of Zaibach years ago. Then again, everything had been different since those days.

"Yes, my lord," said the commander, keeping his voice as level as he could. "Forgive me. Once they reached their guymelefs, they took off into the sky. We gave chase, but despite our attempts, we lost them in cloud cover."

"I see.. Such daring little birds," he said, more to himself than the cowering man on the floor.

The man stood from his throne, moving down the steps towards him, flickering candlelight shimmering on his long white hair, bound back away from a sharply angled face. The black and gold robes he wore may have made him seem harmless-- but the commander knew better what lay beneath the regal looking attire. There was strength in the man's features and form, not old nor young. As his footsteps drew closer the commander grew colder, as though the lord brought cold with him, the chill tendrils creeping across the floor. They were reaching for him with icy fingers.

"Tell me what news of the other kingdoms," he said, walking past the commander, who visibly seemed to sag in relief.

"Our spies report that the ripples of rumors of the attacks are moving through the kingdoms. Two in particular seem to be gathering to discuss the events. They will be looking for us."

"Yes, I suspect they will," noted the man with amusement. "Perhaps, with some nudging, they will flush out our little birds for us."

The commander frowned, puzzled. "Sir?"

"Yes.. all the pieces are falling together..." Almost all of them. There was still one missing, and one extremely hard to find. Dark eyes regarded the statue at the back of the room, raised on a platform to separate it from the filth in the metal room. It should touch nothing but the cleanest of metal, pure and untainted: the dais was sacred, a place just for it. One gauntleted hand touched a curve of stone, running over it lovingly, the surface smoothed by the passage of time it had spent, hidden beneath the earth. But he had found it. He understood its meaning. His hand fell back to the sword, hidden beneath his cloak, at his side. He turned, the light catching on the gold circlet around his head, a dark stone set in the center of it.

"You have done well, commander," he said as he walked back towards his throne. The man bent his head, eyes on the floor to hide his relief.

"Thank you my lord."

He did not have enough time to register the sound of the drawn sword before the point of it drove through his armor, and directly through his heart. The man coughed, blood splashing on the floor as he collapsed. Life vanished from his eyes beneath his helm, like someone had turned off a light.

"... but failure is not tolerated," he finished, withdrawing the blade from the body on the floor. He wiped it off with his cloak, walking back to his throne. "Commander Atrum," he said without looking over his shoulder. In the darkness by the door, a figure moved, the sound of shifting armor the only indicator that someone was there at all. "Fuel the fires," he said, smiling to himself as he sheathed his sword. "Make the kingdoms act." He sat down, regarding the figure in the dark he knew was there. "'In the darkest hours, a pillar of light will shine to keep the darkness at bay'-- then all our pieces will be on the board." He smiled.

"Commander, make the world dark."

The order was met with the metallic sound of shuffling.

"... as you will, Lord Noctis."


	5. Chapter 4: Remembrance and Reality

"I'll see you tomorrow!" Hitomi called, smiling as she waved to the girls as she walked away from the school.

"Bye Hitomi! See you in the morning!" called one of them, before the trio ran off, giggling to themselves. Hitomi smiled a bit, watching as her friends headed off, likely going to a karaoke bar to pass some time. She turned her head, looking down the street. She hadn't realized how late practice had gone: the sun was setting, a distant orangey red smear on the cloudy horizon. Above her head, the rich cerulean blue of the sky had turned to a deep twilight hue as the street lights turned on, illuminating her way home. She sighed softly, smile fading now that her friends had gone. Shifting the duffle bag over her shoulder, she started walking to the train station.

In recent days, she had been dreaming more and more of Gaea. She hadn't realized how much she missed not only the people, but the land as well. Everything seemed so much greener there, so much brighter. Her world felt so cold in comparison, despite the unusual warm weather they'd been having lately. The more she dreamed of Gaea, the more her chest seemed to ache, a reminder of what she had left behind- as though that strange planet was really her home. She knew that wasn't the case, but it didn't change what she felt: her heart and her head were at odds with each other..

She paused in her stride, turning her head to the right. Her eyes softened, shining a bit more than usual as her feet followed her eyes and she left the sidewalk.

The track field.

It was illuminated, though she knew the lights would be turned off soon. No one was there, the bleachers empty save for a sweater someone had left behind. Though she may have changed over the last two years, this place hadn't. She walked up to the field, pausing by the tall bleachers. She would graduate soon, and hopefully get accepted to the university in Kyoto. Leaving would make everything feel so final.

She set her bag down, looking at the ground.

"... do you remember, Van?" she asked quietly, looking at the ground a moment. Her eyes turned towards the circular track. ~Do you remember? This is where it all began..~ She took off her uniform jacket, folding it neatly on her duffle bag.

She had asked Amano that night, two years ago, if he would give her- if she could make one hundred meters in thirteen seconds- her first kiss.

She walked over to the starting mark slowly, as her mind recalled the events of that fateful night.

She had started running, with all the intention of throwing her feelings for Amano to fate: if it was meant to happen, she would make it. She would do all she could to make it happen, but in the end it was all up to fate.

If only she had known how true that was.

She set her feet on the starting marks, setting her hands on the ground.

The pillar of light had swallowed her that night, but she had been given a second chance to reclaim her future as a normal girl. Her want to go back to Gaea however, to return to Van, had once again taken her to the planet where the Earth hung in sky.

Would it work again?

All the dreams she had been having recently of Gaea, all the feelings of ill-ease.. and all the heart ache of only seeing brief glimpses of Van in her head or in memories.. She missed Gaea, and her friends. And most of all, she missed Van Fanel. Something was wrong: she knew it. The woman in her dreams, it was as though she had been reaching out to her, calling her back to Gaea, but she could never reach her hand.

The world always seemed to fall apart before she could.

Hitomi closed her eyes, imagining the world she had left behind. She loved her family: her mother, her father- even her little brother who was far too annoying for his own good sometimes. But she also loved..

She wanted to go back.

"Go!"

An echo from the past shot through her head, and she was off, running as though everything was riding on her winning. She could hear her heart pounding in her head, the wind rushing by her ears.

~Van... I want to see you again... I thought I could do this, but... I miss you, Van. I want to go back, back to Gaea. Please!~

The lights cut out suddenly, making her lose her concentration, and Hitomi stumbled before losing her balance altogether, spilling to the ground.

"Ow..." she muttered, rubbing her head as she sat up. She looked at her lap, heart growing heavy. There was no going back, she knew that now. She had always known. Without her pendant, without the magic of the Drag-Energist..

"Van..." she whispered, bowing her head as tears fell from her eyes. Her fingers gripped her skirt tightly, shaking a bit. She hadn't expected it to be so hard, to move on with her life. "... I didn't think... I'd miss you this much..." She had fooled herself into thinking she wouldn't. She didn't know what was happening on Gaea, but something was wrong.

Some distance away, behind a tree, a faint glowing form watched, retreating into the darkness of the woods before disappearing all together.


	6. Chapter 5: Old Friends, New Revelations

"Lord Van!"

He wasn't sure how long he had been in the study, studying the parchment laid out before him. The news had spread quickly through the castle about the attack, and further from what he understood. The countryside was alight with the news of the attacks. Travelers were already being more cautious, afraid of staying in the smaller towns, which would cause all sorts of problems later if they didn't deal with the issue soon. If the smaller towns didn't get the business from travelers, they could have a famine on their hands within a few months.

"Lord Van!" Van lifted his head from the map spread out on the table in front of him, the familiar call breaking his concentration.

"I'm in here, Merle," he said, voice echoing off the stone walls of the study. The room was vast, the walls lined with shelves full of books of all sizes and colors: the lore and history of the people of Fanelia. A large number of the tomes had been destroyed during the attack by Zaibach, but they had managed to save a fair number of the volumes. They were not what interested him right then, however. It was the map of Gaea, particularly their area of Gaea that interested him. Merle darted into the room, a smile on her feline face.

"Lord Van! The representative from Asturia has arrived!" she informed, and the smile on her features gave away just who they had sent. Van grinned lightly, straightening as a familiar figure entered behind Merle. Allen Schezar was just as Van remembered the knight to be, if not perhaps a little wiser in his blue eyes. He stood tall and proud, but without the arrogance his youth would give him. Van had always been the more immature of the two, though that too had changed in the last two years. Allen's eyes saw a king much matured despite being a mere eighteen years old.

"You've grown quite a bit, Van Fanel, king of Fanelia," he spoke, the same low calm voice he always had riding the air, a patient smile on his lips.

"And you haven't changed at all, Allen," replied Van, walking over to his old comrade, the two exchanging solid forearm shakes. Allen still wore the rich blue and white garb of one of the Knights of Caeli, long blond hair loose and straight as rain. The only real change was the thin gold circlet around his head, the mark that he was head of his father's house, his family's insignia borne on the metal. The two parted, and Van walked with him over to the table where he had been regarding the map of the area. "I take it that Asturia has some stake in this recent raid then?" Merle took a seat nearby, watching the two in silence.

"Yes," said Allen, his elegant features drawing into a slight frown. The loss of life was abhorrent to the knight. Such a senseless loss.. "Some traders from Asturia were caught in the raid, and as the most recent attack was so near the boarder of the land, there is a rather significant desire to see the culprits apprehended."

"Does anyone in Asturia have any information on the attacker?" asked Van, his eyes narrowed with thought, not arrogance and a need for action.

Allen paused a moment, unable to stop the surprise that overcame him at the question. Time really had changed him, hadn't it? Van was no longer the hot-headed young man he once was, but had matured greatly into a king and ruler who thought before he acted, for the benefit of his people. For a moment, he wondered if maybe the girl from the Mystic Moon had something to do with the change in Van.

She had changed all of them, in the end.

"Not much," he admitted, sounding disappointed in the news. "There didn't appear to be any survivors, but there were signs of guymelef activity."

"Guymelefs?" Van paused, considering this. "You don't think... Zaibach?"

Allen shook his head. "Dornkirk's empire was divided among the surrounding kingdoms, and his followers either agreed to living peaceful lives, or were caught by the various ruling kingdoms and incarcerated. His machines were destroyed- so were all the guymelefs that were found on site. There were rumors that some of the neighboring kingdoms took some of the guymelefs, but the rumors were never proven." He shook his head, white gloved hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Even if they were, I can't see this benefiting anyone. It was only a small town, maybe with three guymelefs guarding it. A stop over for travelers on the road."

Van's eyes darkened as he sat in a nearby wooden chair, thumb idly running over the hilt of his family's sword, as well as the pendant around his neck. The silence stole in as he considered the facts, his fingers playing with the small trinket. Allen looked at it, a small smile stealing across his lips.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" he said after a moment. Van looked at him, startled from his thoughts. "Since Hitomi left."

Van looked down at his pendant, the one given to him by the girl he had loved.

And always would.

"Almost three years," he admitted, looking at Allen. "I often wonder if she still..."

Allen regarded the young king as he trailed off, the young man eventually shaking his dark haired head as though to clear it.

"What do you suggest we do in regards to the attacks?" he finally asked.

Allen moved forward, looking at the map on the table. He frowned lightly, looking at the arrangements of towns: those that had been attacked were circled in red, forming almost a wide spread triangle on the map. The boarders between the kingdoms were highlighted, but after a few moments, he couldn't determine any set pattern beyond that. "They don't appear to be moving into the land, but remain on the outskirts. The towns they're attacking don't have any alliance to Asturia so-"

Van frowned. "Wait, they're not aligned with Asturia?"

Allen shook his head. "No. They're neutral to us: just small trading villages from what we understand."

"Then who supplied them with guymelefs?"

Allen looked at Van, realization dawning. "They are not aligned with you either?"

Van shook his head. "No. I knew they were there, but I was under the impression that they were part of the Asturian nation."

An uneasy silence fell over the pair as Merle watched in silence in a chair near the door, a frown on her features. If the towns were in fact neutral territories, why attack them? And who had supplied the towns- apparently quiet trading villages- with guymelef technology?

"I will have my general send messages to the other kingdoms, and see if they have any knowledge of the towns on the boarders. In the meantime, Allen, you and I should ride out to one of the sites and see what there is left," said Van, standing, hand on his sword.

"Is that wise?" he said, as Van passed by him to go to the hall. "You're the life blood of Fanelia, a kingdom that has come a long way, but still has far to go. If anything were to happen-"

"You'd be there to watch my back, would you not?" said Van, grinning a bit over his shoulder, a flare of the familiar hot head in his eyes.

Allen looked at the young man. Had the years not gone by, had he not seen the change in the young king, Allen would have denied him. Fanelia needed its leader. And yet, there was something in the king's eyes that made Allen think better of it. He had grown, learned. He had changed from their very first meeting a great deal. Again, the knight of Caeli's mind drifted to the girl with blue eyes, the girl from the Mystic Moon, and he wondered how much of this change was her doing.

Allen smiled, and nodded, bowing with his hand over his heart. "I am at your service, Van Fanel, King of Fanelia."


	7. Chapter 6: A Wish of Two Hearts

Hitomi watched the clock on the wall tick the seconds away. Each one brought her closer to exams, to graduation. To leaving. She always seemed to be leaving, didn't she? And she couldn't stop it. Time, that was. It kept moving, kept going..

The air was heavy in the classroom, the summer sun pouring in through the windows next to her seat. The students around her were all in a similar state as she, leaning on their desks with heads in hand while trying to take notes on the upcoming exams, fighting the urge to fall asleep. The light even seemed to make the teacher speak slower. The heat wave lately had been intense. People had apparently been passing out in the streets from exposure. She was fortunate she never had to walk to the train station during the day. Staying late to cram had its perks. Hitomi sighed, turning her head to look out the window again.

Hitomi blinked. A girl was standing on the path by a bench, looking up at the impossibly blue sky. She had not been there moments before. She wore the uniform of a student, but she seemed a bit older. Her black hair was long, straight, and pulled over her shoulder in a ponytail. Her eyes remained fixed on the sky. Hitomi shifted in her seat, trying to see what she was looking at. All she saw was a cerulean blue that stretched on forever in a cloudless sky. She looked at the girl again. She was holding something in her hand. Finally, the girl turned her head, and looked right at her. Blue eyes. Just like the sky. Time, that enemy, seemed to slow, seemed to stop altogether as the two locked eyes with each other. Hitomi stared, unable to stop herself. She knew, somehow-

"The wish of two hearts..." The voice seemed to echo in her head, a soft whisper. "... It can take you further than the bluest sky..."

The words resonated in her chest, tightening it. "W... what?"

The bells chimed, the school anthem playing over the loudspeakers in soft tones, breaking the connection. The girl smiled. The students around Hitomi started to move, pushing back their chairs and groaning to each other. She stood quickly, leaving her things on her desk, running out of the class and through the halls. Her heart was racing even before she began to run. There was something, something so desperately important. Somehow, she had to find the girl, had to ask her, had to know..

She wanted to go back. She had to go back.

She broke through the crowd of students exiting the building, and hopped off the stairs, running full tilt around the side of the building, rounding the corner and sliding to a stop.

The path was empty. The girl was gone. Hitomi felt her eyes start to burn, the heavy feeling returning to heart as the image of the world started to waver as tears threatened. She had had hope, like there was a chance. Had she just been dreaming? Was it the combined efforts of the heat and her longing that had conjured the image and the words? Even being outside for only a few minutes, she already felt the effects of the sun, the heat bearing down on her, making her feel light headed. She let herself drop slowly to the ground, kneeling on the path, ignorant of the pebbles stabbing into her knees.

She had to let it go, but she couldn't. She had left Gaea, left Van. She thought she could live on, with him always in her heart, but... the pain sometimes was too much. The tears that fell silently to the ground started drying almost immediately.

"Please..." She shuddered, hugging her arms to herself. "... I just..." She trailed off, unable to continue.

A soft breeze, cool, comforting, stroked her cheek, played with her brown hair. So out of place in the heat was it that she looked up. There was no one else around, but for a moment, it felt like she wasn't alone. It was then that she noticed it, sitting on the bench, moving only slightly in the same breeze that had tried to console her. Disbelief washed over her. She didn't want to believe, didn't want to reach out in case it vanished with her touch. But long fingers reached out none the less, and brushed the soft texture of the feather resting on the bench. It did not disappear, did not vanish or disintegrate. It was real. Unusually long, but strong, the feather did not look like it could belong to any bird native to the area. It was cool, gentle. She realized then that it was what the girl had been holding. This feather so foreign to their world, but so familiar to her. Hitomi gripped it gently, looking at it.

"... Van..." She stood slowly, and looked at the sky. Impossibly blue, stretching on and on. For the first time in two years, she felt it. It was as though Gaea was not so far away anymore. Hope ran through her, banishing the heat of the sun.

Now, more than ever, she had to go back.

"... Van..." She closed her eyes, remembering the feel, the sounds of Gaea. The way the trees grew tall, the way the water crashed on the shore, the breeze.. "Do you want to see me again? As much as I want to see you?" She opened her eyes again, looking up. "I'm coming, Van. I'll find a way. I promise." She turned, heading back towards the entrance of the school building.

High above her, standing on the roof, the girl smiled.


	8. Chapter 7: The Ruins of Peace

The ride would take only half a day by horse.

After his meeting with Allen, Van had arranged things at the castle, leaving his advisor in charge of any immediate problems that came up with the management of the city, until he returned. Convincing Merle that he would be fine- and that she could not come- was a more difficult process. In the end however, he had assured her that he would be careful; Allen would be with him, and they would not be gone long. He would return, as soon as they had the answers they needed from the villagers. The only objection that Allen raised was not taking knights with them.

"It could be very dangerous," the blond knight had argued, as they readied the horses in the stables. "If anything were to happen to you-"

"As I said upstairs, Allen," replied Van, grinning a bit, "that's what you're there for. Besides, I do not wish to take any soldiers from the city. While our soldiers are skilled, there aren't a lot of them. If anything were to happen, if this is a trap, then I want my people to have a chance."

"What about the Escaflowne?" Allen said quietly.

Van paused in mid pull of his horse's girdle. The temptation was there: to go to his room, and retrieve the Drag-Energist, and awaken his family's guymelef from its guardian slumber in the forest. To ride the wind, into what could very well be a trap. To fly again.

"... Escaflowne sleeps, until the day comes that it's needed again," he said, resuming his actions. Allen watched in silence, holding the reins of his own steed. "Besides," Van said after a moment, "I don't see your guymelef anywhere, Allen. Did you forget it at home?"

Allen smiled patiently at the young man's barb, shaking his head a bit as he headed outside to wait for the young king.

"A Knight of Caeli is never without his guymelef- if only we could say the same for the king of Fanelia," he said as he left. Van clenched his jaw, securing the girdle in place. He took a deep breath, before finally taking the horse by the reins, heading outside.

Despite the knight's comment, he was outside, mounted on his horse and waiting with no guymelef in sight. He had been tempted to say something to the knight, but instead he held his tongue, figuring it would do no good to continue the argument. Some days he didn't like being more mature. His old rash attitude wasn't gone, so much as he was in more control of it than he used to be. And it was a pain.

Merle had been waiting for them at the gates, distress playing across her feline features as she looked up at the king.

"Please be careful, Lord Van," she said, looking up at him. "Please come back soon!"

He smiled, for a moment his argument with Alan forgotten. "I will, Merle. Make sure everything runs smoothly in my absence."

Merle nodded her head once, bell jangling softly. With a look of confirmation to Allen, he spurred his horse's sides, snapping the reins. The two shot past the gates, disappearing down the road. Merle remained standing under the arch of the gate, watching until she couldn't see them anymore. She clasped her hands together, bowing her head. Her lithe form trembled with a mixture of fear, and determination as she silently prayed.

'_Please... please let him come back safely.'_

When they finally arrived, for a moment, Van sat in shock.

It had been two years since the war between Zaibach and the neighbouring kingdoms of Gaea; since a time when villages lay in ruin and people scrambled about, dirty and injured trying to help those less fortunate. Two years of peace.

As he looked on the merchant town of Karnath, for a moment Van was transported back to those days of death and devastation. Stone buildings, though they may have started life simple and safe, were broken, smoldering ruins on either side of the road leading through the town. People were running around, carrying food, water and litters from one place to another, some in no better shape than the people they were helping. For the most part. In the distance, the ruins of a castle smoldered still: even from a distance it was clear that there were no survivors or hope of reclamation. There were knights moving among the survivors, armored soldiers whose colors stated they were from neighbouring cities that were there to help and assist as best they could. Guymelefs patrolled the edges of the town, the tall and imposing mechas keeping their eyes on the horizon. Van dismounted, Allen following. Though the knight's face was stoic and composed, his eyes betrayed him, anger lurking in their blue depths. Van may have made leaps and bounds in controlling himself, but he was not without his own limits. This was too much.

"Who is in charge?" he asked one of the knights.

The armored soldier turned to him, the demand met with silence for a moment. Just as Van was about to demand- with more irritation- a second time, the knight replied. His voice echoed from inside his armor.

"Captain Blain," he replied, pointing down the road. "You'll find him in one of the buildings on the southern edge of town. You can't miss it. It's one of the only structures still standing." The knight's voice, despite its echo, was a maelstrom of emotion ranging from anger, to sorrow, and acceptance. It made Van hold back on whatever scathing comment he might have said.

"Thank you," was all he said, glancing back at Allen, who nodded.

They led their horses through the wreckage of the town. The more they saw, the heavier Van's heart grew for the people that lived there. While many merchants must have come and gone, there were more than likely people in the town that lived there all the time. People whose lives were ruined. If they lived at all. It was as they neared one of the only remaining structures in the village that they saw the bodies lined up by the building, covered by white sheets or flags. The captain stood in front of them, dark grey armor covered in soot and tarnished by the marks of many blades over the ages. The colors on the cape over his shoulder were green and gold, marking him as a resident of the village. His helmet was cradled under one arm, shaggy brown hair falling around a battle weary face that had likely seen as many years as Allen, if not a few more. Green eyes regarded the bodies in front of him with resignation: the face of one who had failed those he swore to protect, yet would forever be haunted by the faces before him, covered or not.

"Captain," said Allen quietly as he approached.

The man blinked once, and turned his eyes to the two. "I am," he said, looking at them.

"My name is Allen Schezar," said the knight. "I am a Knight of Caeli from Asturia. This is Van Fanel, King of Fanelia. We have come to offer our assistance."

The captain regarded them both blankly. "... just the two of you?"

"We come to help you find who did this," said Van, looking at the man. "And I have arranged to send assistance as soon as I return."

"A little late, now," he said, looking back at the bodies in front of him. Van would have preferred anger, or accusation in the man's voice as opposed to the hollow, empty tone he received. His anger rose inside him- not at the captain, but at whoever did this.

"What can you tell us?" asked Allen gently.

"Not much..." The captain looked at the sky, his expression unchanged.

"They came at night. It was a clear night. The Mystic Moon was high in the sky, when we heard it. Snapping, loud, like thunder cracks, from the forest. We raised the alarm, but we were too late. They came from the trees, bellowing fire, attacking the buildings. They didn't care who was in the way. They didn't care who was there. They just... destroyed."

Allen's eyes darkened. "What did they want?" he asked gently.

The captain blinked, and looked at him.

"... Want, sir?" he said dumbly. "They didn't 'want' anything. They didn't take anything. They just... killed."

Van's fist clenched, leather gloves creaking under the pressure.

"Did you get a look at them?" he asked the man, anger riding the warm undercurrent of his words.

The captain seemed to respond somewhat, as though some level of him knew that's what he should feel: anger. It helped to life him from his shock a bit.

"No, my lord," he said, shaking his head. "It was dark, and... I'm not sure, but the air seemed heavy around them. Like the trees were providing them cover just out of sight."

Van jumped as though hit.

"Cloaks? They used cloaking devices?"

"Perhaps, my lord. I'm not sure."

"Thank you," said Allen gently. "We will take our leave, and send people to assist with whatever we can."

"Allen!" said Van, as the knight started to walk back the way they came. "We're not done here!"

"Yes we are," said Allen quietly. "Look around you Van. He's not going to be able to help you. What you need to do is send them aid: people who can help them rebuild not just buildings, but lives. You know this: you've lived through this once."

Van started, eyes locking with Allen's. The knight met his gaze evenly, without falter or conviction.

Just truth.

Van looked away first, fists still clenched tightly at his sides.

"I'm not suggesting we leave right away," said the knight quietly, a small smile on his lips. "But the answers we're looking for won't be with the captain."

"You mean who did this," said Van, approaching the knight.

"No," said Allen, his smile fading, "although that is one. No: look around Van. Tell me what you see- and what you don't."

Van turned his eyes out towards the wreckage. Buildings were toppled, rubble strewn about the street haphazardly; villagers were wandering about, calling out names and searching the wreckage for friends and kin. The guymelefs of the bordering kingdoms patrolled the edge of the town, their sights cast out to the distance. The castle in the distance was a lost cause.

Van blinked in sudden realization. He looked at Allen.

"Our reports said that there had been guymelefs guarding the town," he said.

Allen nodded once.

"But I don't see any ruined guymelefs, do you?" said the Knight of Caeli quietly. "So where did they go?"

Van shook his head, looking around.

"What is going on here?" he muttered to himself.

Allen overheard, and shook his own head, resting one hand on the hilt of his sword.

"I'm not sure, but something isn't right. Despite the size of the town, there aren't as many people here as I would have thought: dead and alive. Regardless, you need to send some help to these people. I'm not sure what's going on, but there are many sick and injured here. They need help."

Van nodded.

"I'll send a message to the castle, and have them send help right away."

"Good. I'm going to take a look around, and see what I can find out about what happened after the attack," said Allen. "I'll meet you where we came in."

Van nodded, turning and heading towards one of knight outposts, where a hawk was perched, ready and waiting to deliver a message. Once he wrote the message, he sent the hawk off into the air, watching it as it soared out of sight against the backdrop of the Mystic Moon.

For a moment, the young king let his eyes linger on the planet hanging in the sky, his eyes searching it as though he could see exactly where she was. Even with everything going on- or maybe because of it- his thoughts drifted to the girl who gave him the pendant around his neck. There had been destruction around them then, as well. For a moment, he almost thought the pendant grew warm against his chest. He started to move his hand, to reach up and touch it.

He stopped in mid motion, seeing something floating down towards him. He blinked, waiting until it landed in his outstretched palm.

A feather: pure ivory, long and warm. For a moment, he could smell the sea, even though he was far from it. The sea, and...

"... Hitomi?" he said, looking from the feather to the sky.

A cerulean sky that gave no answer.

"... Hitomi..."


End file.
